New Mexico Floods Trigger Evacuations and Road Closures
Severe stormwater flooded homes, triggered evacuation orders for southern towns near an earthen dam, and forced emergency road closures across New Mexico as a late monsoon pattern collided with moisture from tropical storms.
Rainfall Swamps Neighborhoods From Santa Fe To Belen Queva Garage
Rainwater swept down the streets of the Tierra Real Mobile Home Community off Airport Road on Santa Fe’s south side, rising to at least ankle-deep on Calle Kryshanna. Belen Queva found floodwaters pooling a couple of inches deep in his garage Tuesday afternoon while water continued to run beneath his home. Queva waded through the water in his boots to inspect the neighborhood and noted that help was needed to remove the trapped water. Nearby, Evangelina Torres explained that low-lying parts of the mobile home park near water-collection ponds were particularly susceptible because the ponds were clogged and full. Javier Talavera reported that water reached the first step outside his door Tuesday morning, noting his family had only seen flooding that severe once during their 30 years in the area.
City crews deployed pumps to clear water out of the neighborhood Tuesday afternoon as runoff flowed down the street and turned a nearby park into a large lake. Further south in Garfield, Alessandra Alanis watched water pour through, out and over a flood-mitigation dam near pecan groves and family crops.
Doña Ana County Orders Evacuations For McLeod Dam Risk
Doña Ana County emergency officials issued an evacuation order for residents in Rincon, Hatch, Salem, and Garfield due to flooding and the imminent failure risk of the McLeod Dam, according to the county’s emergency management system. Residents in the affected zones were urged to gather medications, essential items, and pets while monitoring official alerts and avoiding flooded roads. The McLeod Dam is a 25-foot-high earthen dam designed to reduce flood risks, according to the National Inventory of Dams.
The statewide National Weather Service flood watch remained active through at least Wednesday morning. Meteorologists projected two-day rainfall totals between 1 and 3 inches across most areas, threatening to break records following two weeks of persistent thunderstorms that left soils heavily saturated. AccuWeather meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in a statement that the flash flooding risk in parts of New Mexico ranks as the most dangerous in five years or more, emphasizing the danger of rapidly rising water.
Santa Fe County Imposes Emergency Road Closures
Santa Fe County officials issued emergency text alerts closing multiple rural routes as rising water cut off access. Cañada Village Road, serving as the main street through Cañada de los Alamos, was closed at Camino La Llorona. Marquez Ville Road east of Old Galisteo Road near the Santa Fe Rail Trail was closed at Paseo Galisteo. Additional closures affected San Ysidro Crossing in Agua Fría and County Road 51 near Cañoncito, both recognized as low-lying crossings susceptible to heavy runoff. County officials instructed the public to avoid attempting to cross flowing water or drive around barricades until conditions improve.
The severe weather follows a sequence of destructive storms across the region over the preceding two weeks, which included three Navajo Nation residents dying in floodwaters on September 16, water rescues reported near Socorro, and a Clovis lineman who died Friday morning from electrocuted power line repairs, as reported by Eastern New Mexico News. Santa Fe County spokesperson Shawna Graves confirmed that no water rescues had been reported late Tuesday evening.
Heavy rains have caused widespread disruption across the state as late monsoon moisture combined with rains from Hurricane Polo and Tropical Storm Odalys.